... helping you be your healthiest self

February 29, 2016

In my rush this morning for a quick and easy breakfast, I decided to make a smoothie - my 'go to' when I only have a few minutes. Using my Vitamix (although any high-powered blender will work with this recipe), I threw in half of an avocado for a healthy, filling fat, about 1/3 cup of whole oats for fiber and heart health, a heaping handful of fresh baby spinach, about 10-15 chunks of frozen pineapple, and a cup of water. That's it! It met the criteria for health enhancement, energy, satiety, and heart health. It turned out nice and creamy, was refreshing in flavor, and breakfast was ready in just a couple of minutes. I also wasn't hungry for a couple of hours. This is a keeper!

January 10, 2011

Americans now eat about 50% of their food prepared outside of the home - whether that be eating out or buying food that is packaged. Clearly we are looking for food that is easy, convenient, and time-saving. The problem with eating this percentage of food prepared by others is that we have very little control about the quantity and quality of the ingredients. We end up eating food that is high in fat, sodium, and calories and low in fiber and nutrients.

The solution is to prepare more of our foods in our own kitchens. There are many recipes that meet the criteria we are all looking for - ease, convenience, and quick. Below is a favorite of mine that also happens to be high in fiber and nutrients. This recipe works well for breakfast, as in a breakfast burrito, lunch, or dinner. Vary it up by making it into burritos, quesadillas, omelettes, or salad bowls.

Saute the peppers, onions, and garlic in a skillet with a bit of water, which eliminates the need for added fat, until vegetables are slightly soft. Add rice, salsa, beans, and parsley. Mix well. Store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Use in any of the suggestions above. As an option, add cooked chicken, shrimp, and/or avocado.

March 08, 2007

We have all heard how important it is to eat breakfast yet when I poll groups of people to see how many eat breakfast on a daily basis, the results are surprising - approximately half do not. Some common reasons include: too little time, not hungry early in the day, don't like breakfast foods, if I start eating early then I'm hungry all day, I've never eaten breakfast and don't want to start now...

As I've said repeatedly, in order to change a behavior, there must be a high value on changing it. I'll begin then by reiterating why breakfast is so important.

Eating first thing in the day helps jump-start our metabolism so we actually burn more calories throughout the day. I often give the analogy that metabolism is like a wood fire. To keep it burning hot and clean, you must keep adding new wood (food) onto the pile. Otherwise, it goes into a slow smolder. In fact, research has shown that people who eat breakfast are significantly less likely to be obese and diabetic than those who usually skip breakfast.

Another reason that breakfast is important is that it provides fuel for us to perform at our best. Research has shown that children who eat breakfast are more likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.

Also, eating breakfast, especially with good quality protein, increases alertness. Again, research has shown that students who ate breakfast before starting school had a general increase in math grades and reading scores, increased student attention, reduced nurse visits, and improved student behaviors.

Hopefully, these are important enough reasons to increase your value in eating breakfast. Given that it allows you to burn more calories through the day, would you to take 10-15 minutes more in the morning to eat well?

Or, maybe you have an important meeting or sales call first thing in the morning, perhaps your child has a test to take. Wouldn't these be good reasons to make time for breakfast?

If I haven't yet hit upon a value for you, feel free to email me and I'll address it in another posting. Until then, do your body a favor and feed it well in the morning. Check out 5 Simple Breakfast Foods.

Breakfast really can be a simple meal and still provide lots of important nutrients. Here are 5 quick and easy ideas for a healthy start to your day.

Whole wheat toast with natural almond butter and a cored, sectioned apple. Be sure the bread is 100% whole grain and that it doesn't contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fat/oil. To make this breakfast even healthier, opt for organic bread, almond butter, and apples.

Vanilla low-fat organic yogurt with ground flax seeds and fresh or frozen blueberries added... very nutritious and high in fiber.

Smoothies. It doesn't get much easier than this. Just blend 1 cup orange juice, 1 banana, 1 cup blueberries, some vanilla yogurt, and again some ground flax seeds. If your fruit is frozen, it will make a slushy-type smoothie.

Egg and spinach on a whole-wheat English muffin - when you need something a little heartier. Using bagged, frozen spinach makes this quick and easy. Heat a skillet, add a spray of olive oil, and a handful of frozen spinach. Saute just until cooked. Transfer to a plate and cover. Toast the muffin in the toaster. Meanwhile, in the same pan, spray a little more olive oil, then cook your egg to desired doneness. Top with the reserved spinach and place on the muffin. This doesn't take much time at all and can be eaten on the run (although I don't ever recommend eating on the run, I'm also realistic). Using garlic flavored olive oil makes this breakfast sandwich even tastier.

August 21, 2006

This is a recipe from Eating Well magazine with a few changes. It is delicious and nutritious and can be served for dessert or even eaten for breakfast served with vanilla yogurt.

I made it using fresh peaches (peeled, pitted and sliced) and blueberries and love the combination (although it is delicious with just blueberries too). I used almonds for the nuts and olive oil in place of the canola oil. It was easy and the kids can help out with preparation.

Earth Greens

Earth GreensPlease call 602-595-7560 or order online at www.essanteworldwide.com/ordergreens to order Essante's Earth Greens and Supreme pH drops or you may email or call me to place an order and for further information. Also, be sure to read the accompanying article on this blog, Drink Your Vegetables for more information on this product.

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Other Sites of Interest

Eating Well Magazine's WebsiteA great website for healthy recipes, nutritional information, and helpful tools, including calorie counters, nutritional analysis tools, and a soon-to-be weight tracker.
To subscribe to the magazine: EatingWell